IHC strikes down disputed promotion bar for senior officers

The Islamabad High Court has invalidated a government policy that permanently blocked senior civil servants from promotion to BS-22 after two deferrals or rejections. Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas declared the measure unconstitutional while hearing petitions challenging the so-called Reconsideration Amendment.

The disputed rule, issued through SRO 255(I)/2025, had effectively removed officers from future promotion consideration after two unsuccessful attempts. The court’s decision restores a more open legal position for affected bureaucrats and removes a barrier that petitioners argued was arbitrary and unfair.

The ruling is significant for the civil service because it directly affects promotion policy at the highest bureaucratic levels. It also adds judicial scrutiny to how the government frames career progression rules inside the federal administrative structure.